


Long Forgotten Love

by SirensInTheDungeon



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: AU, Alternative universe- Pennywise doesn't exist, Coffee Shop Meet-Cute, Eddie is still a risk analyst because he lived before fun was invented, Eddie wears Gucci Loafers, Everyone Lives/No One Dies, F/M, Heavy involvement of Stan and Patty, M/M, Patty is forever Ride or die, Reference suicide attempt, Richie Tozier is a Mess, brief mentions of abuse, richie and eddie are both still trashmouths, richie is a famous comedian, stan is his BFF
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:35:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21673057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirensInTheDungeon/pseuds/SirensInTheDungeon
Summary: On the first day of November Richie noticed him. Something about the man waiting for his coffee made a buzzer sound in the deep recesses of his brain. The sharp angles of his face and slight curl to his dark hair brought back fuzzy memories of hammocks and comic books. The deep brown of his eyes weighed down by thick expressive eyebrows reminded Richie of a long-forgotten friend. It had been like clockwork for the past month, Monday to Friday at exactly 8AM he would be waiting for his coffee when Richie stumbled in.
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Benverly, Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Patricia Blum Uris/Stanley Uris, Reddie - Relationship
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	1. The spitfire of my heart

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this slowly over the past month and it has certainly gotten out of hand. My projected size is 5 chapters but who knows if i'll be sticking to that. Leave Kudos or Comments telling me if you enjoyed it!

On the first day of November Richie noticed him. Something about the man waiting for his coffee made a buzzer sound in the deep recesses of his brain. The sharp angles of his face and slight curl to his dark hair brought back fuzzy memories of hammocks and comic books. The deep brown of his eyes weighed down by thick expressive eyebrows reminded Richie of a long-forgotten friend. It had been like clockwork for the past month, Monday to Friday at exactly 8AM he would be waiting for his coffee when Richie stumbled in. Every time their eyes met it caused a tingle to slide down Richie’s spine. He wanted to talk to the mysterious man in the high-end suit and Gucci loafers but he was afraid; afraid that he wasn’t good enough. He was a comic and a shitty one at that. He didn’t even write his own material.

“You should know that full fat milk isn’t good for you, it’s full of saturated fat. If you insist on loading your coffee with milk and sugar at least use skim. Also, when was the last time you were tested for diabetes because the amount of sugar you put in your coffee is alarming. It’s more of a syrup than coffee now. If you’re going to use sugar you should at least use the raw sugar, its less processed or honey.” The man’s voice was higher than expected but the flush that spread across his cheeks as he spoke was worth listening to the lecture. Without a word Richie picked the sugar up once again and began pouring it into his already sweetened cup of coffee, his gaze unwavering. He didn’t know where it came from but he wanted to push and push against the man until he snapped. “You’re disgusting.”

“Fuck you dude, you don’t even know me.” Richie snarked back, before taking a drink of his coffee. The coffee was gritty from the amount of sugar that hadn’t dissolved and coated his mouth in a film of sugary syrup. It was disgusting and made his teeth hurt but he had to prove this beautiful asshole wrong. The look in the man’s eyes changed to something deeper and more heated. It sent an entirely different tingle down Richie’s spine. “So, are you always a giant fucking asshole or is that just something you’re reserving for little ol’ me?”

“Right I’m sorry where are my manners, Eddie Kaspbrak. What dumpster did you crawl out of this morning?” Eddie deadpanned as he gave Richie a slow once over. He hated the stupid Hawaiian shirt the taller man was wearing and the way it hung off of his broad shoulders. He also hated the stupid smile that stretched across his face as the taller man leaned in. The smell of stale cigarettes clung to him but underneath Eddie could detect something that was uniquely _him._ It caused a burn to spread low in his abdomen. He had never felt desire like this before it almost made him dizzy.

“I actually crawled out of your mom’s bed. I suppose I should introduce myself, I’m Richie Tozier.” A smirk stretched across Richie’s face as he leaned into Eddie. He felt drawn to him, like a magnet was pulling him closer. A flash of a much smaller hypochondriac boy with curled brown hair and a cast adorning right his arm flooded Richie’s brain. “Jesus Christ, Eddie Spaghetti! You’re all grown up and beautiful!”

“Fuck you, bro. Don’t call me Eddie Spaghetti you gangly fucking freak!” Eddie punched Richie in the shoulder with a glare. Something about being called beautiful by Richie made his heart thud in his chest. Maybe he was having a heart attack, oh god what if he **was** having a heart attack. A shuddering breath slipped past his lips when Richie took his face in his hands. The feeling of Richie’s skin on his paired with the concerned look in his eyes made his heart skip. “Holy shit, I think I’m having a heart attack.”

“Hey, hey, Eds. Look at me, I doubt you’re having a heart attack.” Richie smiled when Eddie’s eyes met his. Suddenly he was brought back to being a closeted teenage boy so desperate to impress his best friend and make him laugh. A teenage boy so in love that he didn’t know how he managed to live his life without him. He leaned in his lips inches from Eddie’s. Just as he was about to press their lips together after 27 years of yearning until a generic ringtone began to play from the direction of Eddie’s jacket.

“Fuck I’m late for work. I have to go Rich, m’sorry.” Eddie pulled his phone out and silenced it before looking at Richie again with a determined look in his eye. He leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his lips before reaching for his coffee. “Meet me here tonight at 6, wear something nice because I’m taking you for dinner.”

“Come on now Eds, you know I don’t do nice and fancy. Take me to some greasy spoon so I can listen to you rant about how unsanitary everything is in the way I used to know and love.” Richie called after Eddie as he walked away, barking a laugh at the glare that was sent his way. The moment Eddie was out the door it finally sunk in that Richie had a date that evening. A date with Eddie fuckin’ Kaspbrak the source of all of his teenage wet dreams. “Holy fucking shit I have to go home to get ready.”


	2. Stan Uris talks Richie down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter. I have most of the third written and as of right now it's looking like it might be longer than five chapters! let me know what you all think in the comments, leave a kudos if you liked it. You can find me on Tumblr at trashmouthlovesthehypocondriac where I regularly reblog reddie goodness and even occasionally ad my own thoughts to posts :O 
> 
> Enjoy!

“What’s happened now, Rich?” Stan’s voice was largely unimpressed as he answered the phone. He knew that chances were Richie was fine, but there was still a tinge of concern to his voice. As much as he enjoyed pretending that Richie was the worst thing to ever happen to him that wasn’t true. There was no one else he would trust with his secrets because he knew that Richie spent so long holding a secret of his own.

“Do you remember Eddie Kaspbrak from Derry? Tiny little thing, cutest fucking thing you’ve ever seen, ready to fight at a moment’s notice? Well he’s Gucci loafer coffee guy and HE ASKED ME ON A DATE. I meet him at six and I have no idea what to wear.” Richie stared at the clothes haphazardly shoved into his closet. A myriad of colours making him feel anxious and almost itchy. The excessive energy thrumming under his skin a reminder that he once again forgot to take his ADHD medication. “Fuck, I forgot to take my meds. Should I wear a Hawaiian shirt or should I go for what I wear on stage? What if we sit down to dinner and he realizes he doesn’t like me or what if he only asked me out because I’m famous now?”

“You're an idiot, he was head over heels for your stupid pigtail pulling when we were kids you were just too far in your own head to notice. You could go naked and he would be over the moon." Stan pinched the bridge of his nose. He loved Richie, he really did, but it was too early for this. He sat up and raked a hand through his curls before looking over at his alarm clock. “Richie, it’s not even 9AM what the fuck are you freaking out about?!”

“Do you—Do you think going naked would work?” Richie began to pull shirts out of his closet, almost immediately dropping them when he decided they were a no for the date. As the pile of discarded shirts began to grow he started to feel as though he was never going to find anything to wear. Sure it was only 8:30AM but he only had ten hours to find an outfit for his date, that wasn’t _enough_ time.

“Do you want to fucking get arrested?!” Stan’s voice was incredulous before he started to laugh. Despite his annoyance at being woken up he was more than happy he answered the phone. A few months back he had been in a really dark place and if it wasn’t for his wife Patty, Richie, and the rest of The Losers Club he probably wouldn’t have been here to answer the phone. He would deal with millions of lifetime’s of answering the phone at ungodly hours for Richie. “Just dress like you Richie, Eddie asked you out already knowing what you look like.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Uris? We can’t all turn out like cherubic fucking flowers like you did, dickhead.” Richie dropped another shirt into the pile before pausing. There forgotten in the recesses of his closet was a small cardboard box labeled ‘Derry’. He knew if he opened that box he would unleash memories from 27 years ago, memories of him and Eddie hanging out in a hammock that wasn’t big enough for the two of them but was an excuse to be close. Summers spent playing _Street Fighter II_ at the arcade, annoying the shit out of Stan just for fun, and the day he said goodbye to Eddie before leaving Derry behind for good with Stan in tow. A lifetime had passed between then and now and yet he was still carrying a torch for someone he no longer knew. “I don’t think I can do this Stan; we’re not the same people we were back then. I’m no longer so far in the closet the goal is to find me not Narnia.”

“Richie will you calm the fuck down. I’m sure Eddie is smart enough to realize that you’re not the same annoying little shit as back then. You’re now much larger and more annoying. If you back out and stand him up I’m going to kill you.” Stan made his way out to the kitchen, dropping a kiss to Patty’s head as he passed her. His wife was a truly a blessing; she didn’t even bat an eye at the fact that Stan was already coaching Richie through what sounded to be a major life crisis. “Patty says good morning.”

“Good morning Pattycakes, we’ll have to have dinner together soon. Oh, how about tonight?” Richie plucked a sweater from his closet and inspected it closely before laying it out on his bed. It had been a gift from Patty and Stan last year and he had never gotten around to wearing it. When he had received it Patty had commented that the dark blue would bring out his eyes. He didn’t pretend to know what she meant by that but he hoped it was a good thing. “Should I wear jeans or a nice pair of slacks? I’m going to wear the sweater you and Patty bought me.”

“That nice pair of jeans you normally wear for shows and the black converse. If you show up at my house when you’re supposed to be on your date Patty and I will hide your body where no one else will find it.” Stan’s voice was firm as he sat down at the kitchen island with his coffee. He doubted that Richie would stand Eddie up, not after years of wanting him but stranger things could happen. “How did your meeting with Netflix go? Did they tell you to start writing your own material you talentless hack?”

“You’re not far off, my special has to be all of my own material. The woman I spoke to used to be a fan when I was doing the amateur stand-up circuit. She told me I sucked now and if I didn’t start writing my own stuff I would be washed up before I knew it. She reminded me of Patty, you would have liked her.” Richie sat down on his bed with the jeans Stan suggested held in his hand. This was calming to him, talking about the mundane parts of his life. Meetings with Netflix or comedy networks were normal. They weren’t suddenly being asked on a date by your first love twenty plus years after you left them in your shithole of a hometown. “Thanks for talking me down Stan, I’ll call again tomorrow to let you know how it went.”

“Of course Rich, remember you’re Trashmouth Tozier if you can survive hecklers you can survive this. Never call me before 10 again or I’ll kill you.” Stan let out a sigh as he set his phone on the kitchen island. It tired him out having to deal with Richie sometimes. He looked over at Patty who was watching him with a loving smile. He never felt quite as lucky as when Patty turned that smile on him. “Gucci loafers coffee guy asked him out and he also just happened to be Richie’s first love. Naturally, Richie is acting like his world is going to end in the case that it doesn’t work out.”

“Of course he is, this is classic Richie. He never understands how great he is under his façade. If they do work out we’ll have to have them over for dinner before Richie brings him to the New Year’s party. Was he part of the same group as the others?” Patty reached over and brushed Stan’s curls out of his face. If Eddie had been part of The Losers Club that Stan and the others always spoke about it would be a miracle, as though they were meant to meet again.

She had met Stan and Richie in their final year of university and had heard so many stories about the almost mythical Losers Club that when they had started reconnecting with the others it had seemed like heroes reuniting with their long-lost battle partners. Beverly Hanscom nee Marsh was the first to be found. Patty had personally hired her to make-over Richie’s trash-chic look when it became clear that looking like he had just crawled out of a dumpster was not okay for red-carpet events. At the time she had still been Beverly Rogan but that was short lived when she came to dinner with a black eye. It was the only time Patty had seen Stan furious. Bev lived in their spare bedroom for two weeks before finally feeling safe enough to move into her own place.

The next to be collected had been Ben Hanscom who helped design their house, from the rare pictures that Patty has seen from Stan’s youth, Ben had the biggest physical change. He was built like a Greek Adonis now. He also had the purest heart that Patty had ever met. It wouldn’t surprise her if his soul was angelic white. Patty had never seen love at first sight until the first time Ben and Bev had met. It sounded ridiculous but love did not exist in the world until that moment. Ben had treated Bev like she was a rare and priceless art piece meant to be worshipped but strong enough to stand the test of time.

Bill and Mike Denbourgh had been the last to be found. They had been married for years having found each other on one of Bill’s book tours. One of Bill’s books was being adapted for the screen at the time and Richie had been tapped to play one of the characters. Patty loved all of the Losers equally but Mike had a special spot in her heart. He fielded many late-night phone calls when she was sitting outside Stan’s hospital room after he had attempted suicide. She would never admit it but those nights she felt as though she was not good enough for her husband. As though she had failed him. Mike had helped her realize that it was neither her fault nor Stan’s. What had happened had been caused by years of hurt and suffering at the hands of internalized bi-phobia on Stan’s part.

“He was, Eddie Kaspbrak, the smallest spit-fire I had ever met until I met you. Richie used to pull his pigtails like it wasn’t painfully obvious he was in love. They used to find excuses to constantly be touching each other but nothing ever came of it.” Stan pressed a kiss to the back of her hand before taking a drink of his coffee. Thinking back on it now as an adult he could clearly see just how in love Eddie and Richie were before any of them even knew what love was. He hoped for Richie and The Losers Club’s sake the date went well, it would be unfortunate if it didn’t.


End file.
